This text incorporates spoilers for the primary season of Large Brother Reindeers Video games.
The vacations are formally in full drive after Large Brother Reindeer Video games topped its first champion.
After Large Brother 25 wrapped in November, 9 Large Brother stars returned to the franchise for one more shot at incomes a six-figure grand prize. They confirmed up for Reindeer Video games, an unique CBS spin-off present nothing like its predecessor.
As an alternative of Head of Households, Energy of Vetos, and eviction nights, the contestants dueled in a challenge-based sport that performed out via six festive episodes.
All in all, 5 former Large Brother champions joined the roster — Nicole Franzel-Arroyo, Taylor Hale, Xavier Prather, Josh Martinez, and Cody Calafiore — in addition to 4 fan favorites: Frankie Grande, Britney Godwin, Danielle Hendricks (previously Reyes), and Cameron Hardin.
The legends fell one after the other in “Santa’s Showdown” till 4 gamers remained on finale night time. Then, they duked it out within the “Reindeer Video games,” and by the point the hour was up, one competitor earned $100,000 simply earlier than Christmas.
And that was Nicole.
Considered an underdog heading into the present, the three-time houseguest turned Large Brother Reindeer Video games’ sole champion by besting Taylor in a head-to-head showdown.
So, how did Nicole as soon as once more ascend into actuality TV glory? Let’s take a quick have a look at the Large Brother 18 champion’s sport.
Nicole eradicated a few of Reindeer Video games’ largest competitors threats en path to the $100,000 grand prize
By means of three separate stints on Large Brother — seasons 16, 18, and 22 — Nicole had by no means been thought-about a “competitors beast.” She relied on her social and political wheeling and dealing to propel herself ahead. So, when Nicole confirmed up for a sport that’d in the end be determined via competitors wins, she was thought-about a heavy underdog when stacked up in opposition to the likes of Frankie, Cody, and Xavier.
Fortunately, Reindeer Video games concerned technique and social dynamics as properly.
Nicole ensured that she was insulated by a number of alliances. Though Cody had betrayed her throughout season 22, she, Cody, and Frankie shortly grouped up as a part of the Large Brother 16 alliance. Additionally, Nicole buried the hatchet with Britney whereas establishing an all-female alliance with the girl in the home.
Nicole floated via the primary two rounds of play. Though she didn’t win a contest, she additionally wasn’t despatched into Santa’s Showdown — the loser-go-home problem that capped off the episodes. Cameron, “America’s Favourite Participant” from Large Brother 25, was the primary to be despatched packing courtesy of Large Brother 23’s king, Xavier. And Cody, season 22’s champion and 16’s runner-up, adopted him out the door a day later when he got here up quick in opposition to Xavier and Frankie, his fellow Large Brother 16 alum.
Nicole notched her first Reindeer Video games victory in episode 3 when she toppled the roster within the “Jingle Bell Brawl.” The win earned her security that day, and later, Danielle, an icon from Large Brother 3 and 7, had her franchise comeback derailed.
Then, Nicole confirmed off her championship mettle in episode 4 when she discovered herself in Santa’s Showdown reverse Josh, Large Brother 19’s winner. In a sport that had them clinging onto a swinging sweet cane for expensive life, Nicole narrowly outlasted Josh, who toppled to the bottom a second earlier than Nicole.
The victory landed her within the closing 5, and she or he adopted it up along with her first and solely “Naughty and Good” win. She served Xavier a punishment, but it surely wasn’t sufficient to get rid of him. Xavier and Large Brother 12 and 14’s Britney had been partnered up for the Jingle Bell Brawl, and later, they confronted off in Santa’s Showdown.
Nicole’s ally Britney bit the mud, and the finalists for the primary annual Reindeers Recreation had been established. Earlier than the finale aired on December 21, Nicole shared a video through Instagram of herself and her husband, Large Brother 18’s Victory Arroyo, baking snacks whereas writing within the caption that when she made it to the tip sport, she already felt like a winner.
“I made it into the reindeer video games (closing 4) and that felt like a win to me. Truly me simply going and being surrounded with such wonderful associates is the true win.”
In episode 6, Xavier gained the ultimate Naughty and Good problem, and he earned the flexibility to find out the semi-final bracket. Viewing Nicole as a lesser menace than Frankie and Taylor, Large Brother 24’s queen, Xavier matched himself up with Nicole whereas the opposite two squared off.
As a result of Xavier selected her, Nicole was hit with a 30-second time penalty in the beginning of their problem, which had them constructing a puzzle with gears that ultimately cracked nuts. As historical past has it, Nicole flew via the puzzle and ended Xavier’s spectacular problem run.
Then, Taylor beat Frankie of their contest, establishing an all-female, all-winner closing.
The problem was damaged down into three phases that had them climbing objects to snag “magical mistletoe,” maneuvering antlers via a three-stacked maze, and stacking dozens of different-sized snowflakes. Taylor led many of the sport. However, the ultimate portion proved troublesome, and Nicole got here from behind and pulled the rug out from beneath her.
By capturing the Reindeer Video games trophy, Nicole was awarded $100,000 and the bragging rights that got here with one other franchise first-place end.
Nicole took to Instagram to react to her Reindeer Video games triumph after the final episode ended whereas additionally revealing that she was retiring from her Large Brother profession. She wrote:
“THANKFUL for this expertise, grateful for my CBS household in LA & grateful for this solid. I’m so grateful for each single a part of this journey ESP the wonderful relationships I’ve made. PS im retired. FOR REAL.”
No contestant has ever gained two seasons of an American-based Large Brother season. Some contestants have come shut — Cody and Dan Gheesling each positioned as winners and runner-ups of their two showings. Nevertheless, Nicole now stands as the one former houseguest to attain victory in two iterations of CBS’s flagship collection.
Due to this 12 months’s author’s strike, Large Brother Reindeer Video games got here to life. And with Hollywood again into full swing, this can be the primary and solely time the CBS unique hits our tv screens. And if that’s the case, Nicole’s identify will stay as the one Reindeer Video games champion etched within the historical past books.
